Tamerton Foliot () is a village situated in the north of Plymouth, in the Plymouth district, in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. It also lends its name to the ecclesiastical parish of the same name.
Situated near the confluence of the rivers Tamar and Tavy, the village is situated in a valley, the stream of which quickly broadens out to a large estuarine creek. This passes under a bridge beneath the Tamar Valley Line railway. Tamerton Foliot railway station, now a private property, is situated at the end of a two mile road and is on the edge of a heavily wooded riverside nature reserve. It had been built in 1890 by the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway on its line from Lydford to Devonport and Plymouth.
The village has a population of around 2,300 (2001 census) and has three pubs, one Methodist chapel (which closed in 2008) and the Anglican parish church of St Mary's. This dates from the 12th century, and is thought to be on the site of an earlier building perhaps founded by St Indract. It has been much extended since, with the perpendicular style tower added around 1440 and most of the rest of the fabric renewed in the 19th century. There is a peal of six bells.
In 1931 the civil parish had a population of 1232. On 1 April 1951 the parish was abolished and merged with Plymouth and Bickleigh.
Copleston Oak
Just outside the eastern boundary of the churchyard stands an ancient hollow oak tree called the Copleston Oak believed to date from the 17th century. It is named after a Lord of the Manor, perhaps Christopher Copleston (1524–1586) or according to Prince (d. 1723) John IV Copleston (1546/9 – 1608),Prince, John, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, p. 237; For identification as John IV see Vivian, Lt.Col. J.L., (ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 225, pedigree of Copleston. whose monument is inside the church, who supposedly stabbed his godson to death outside the church following a dispute.
Descent of the manor
Foliot The Foliot part of the village's name derives from the Foliot family, John Foliot being a half-brother of William the Conqueror and recipient of large amounts of land for services rendered during the Norman conquest. Some of these historical family names such as Bampfield Way and Copleston were used as street names in the new Southway Estate not far from the Village of Tamerton Foliot.
Gorges The manor then passed into the hands of the Gorges family, one of whose members. In 1262, Ralph de Gorges had 2-1/2 knight fees in Tamerton Foliot, holding it under Baldwin de Redvers, Earl of Devon. William Gorges died without male heirs in 1294, at the time holding Tamerton of Hugh de Courtney with the fees of Petristavi, Midelton and Horsewell. His heir was his brother Thomas. Thomas Gorges, born about 1264, died in 1304. John de Gorges, born about 1299.Calendar of Inquisiton Post Mortem.
One member of the family has a recumbent stone effigy in St Mary's Church. The effigies have been much damaged in the various fires which the church has suffered, most recently in 1981, when the roof of the north aisle fell over this area. The effigies are variously believed to be William de Gorges (d. 1346) or according to Raymond Gorges who wrote a history of the Gorges family in 1944,Gorges, Raymond & Brown, Frederick, Rev., FSA. The Story of a Family through Eleven Centuries, Illustrated by Portraits and Pedigrees: Being a History of the Family of Gorges. Boston, USA, (Merrymount Press privately published), 1944. John Gorges of Warleigh House, lord of the manor of Tamerton Foliot, who flourished in the early 15th century. Formerly the Gorges heraldic canting arms of the Gurges, which is Latin for "whirlpool" could be seen on the front of the jupon of the knight in the form of 3 concentric annulets.As shown in the drawing published in Hamilton Rogers, W., Ancient Sepulchral and Monumental Sculpture of Devon. No trace remains today. The armorial was borne in 2 forms, as 3 concentric annulets or as a whorl, blazoned thus: "Argent, a gurges azure". It was thus a blue device on a white background. The whorl form can be seen as one of the quarterings on the escutcheon on the funerary monument to John Copleston, Esquire (d. 1608).
Copleston
The Devon historian Tristram Risdon (d. 1640) wrote concerning the parish of Colebrooke:Risdon, Tristram (d. 1640), Survey of Devon, 1811 edition, London, 1811, with 1810 Additions, p. 97. In this tything is Coplestone, which hath given name to a numerous family who for their fair possessions, their port (sic) (report?) and the respect they lived in, were intitled "the Great Coplestones" besides dignified with the name of "Whit Spurrs", some time a title of great note and in these western parts of much esteem. Of this name are many branches sprung who flourished in this county The Devon historian Sir William Pole (d. 1635) stated the honour accorded to this family as "Silver Spurr", similar to Risdon's appellation, and added that it was connected to the fact that although they were a great county family which had married well, unusually no member of the family had ever been knighted. For his great revenue one member of the family, Raphe Copleston (d. 1491),Vivian, Lt.Col. J. L., (Ed.) The Visitations of the County of Devon: Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564 & 1620, Exeter, 1895, p. 224, pedigree of Copleston of Copleston. was called 'The Great Copleston'.Pole, Sir William (d. 1635), Collections Towards a Description of the County of Devon, Sir John-William de la Pole (ed.), London, 1791, p. 225. The principal junior branches of the Copleston family were seated at the Devon manors or estates of: Bowden, Instow, Upton Pyne, Kingdon, Woodland, Weare Giffard, EggesfordPedigrees of foregoing branches given in Vivian, 1895, pp. 226–233. and Bicton. Copleston House was stated by Prince (d. 1723) to be "all in ruines".Prince, p. 237. The present Copplestone House, situated about 1/2 mile south-east of Copplestone Cross, was rebuilt after 1787 in the Georgian style by Robert Madge, who had purchased the estate at that date. It is thought to be on a different site to the old mansion of the Copleston family, but does incorporate some of the older fabric.Pevsner, p. 277. The descent of Copleston of Tamerton Foliot was as follows:
Philip Copleston (fl.1472) Philip Copleston of Copleston, Sheriff of Devon in 1472. He married Anne Bonville, daughter and heiress of John Bonville (1417–1494)Vivian, 1895, p. 102, pedigree of Bonville of Shute. of Shute, nephew of the great William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville (1392–1461) of Shute. As Pole stated: "By this match of Bonvile's daughter the estate of Copleston was greatly augmented."Pole, p. 335. Anne Bonville was heiress, from her maternal grandmother Leva Gorges, to the manor of Tamerton FoliotPole, p. 335; Vivian, p. 102. and her father John Bonville was, through his mother, the grandson and heir of Martin Ferrers.Vivian, p. 102.
Raphe Copleston (d. 1491) Raphe Copleston (d. 1491) (son), according to Vivian (1895) called "The Great Copleston",Vivian, p. 224. on account of his great revenues. He married Ellen Arundell, daughter of Sir John Arundell of Lanherne, St. Mawgan-in-Pyder, Cornwall, from a leading Cornish family. In the Subsidy of 1434 his estate was assessed at £100 and he served in the honourable position of Justice of the Peace in 1451.Prince, p. 236.
John III Copleston (1475–1550) John III Copleston (1475–1550) (son) of Copleston, "The Great Copleston" according to Prince (d. 1723). Prince, John, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, p. 235. He was co-heir of his great-grandfather John Bonville. His monument survives in Colebrooke Church. He married twice, firstly to Margaret St Ledger, daughter and co-heiress of Bartholomew St Ledger, which marriage was childless; secondly he married Katherine Bridges, daughter of Raphe Bridges.
Christopher Copleston (1524–1586) Christopher Copleston (1524–1586) (son by his father's second marriage) of Copleston, Sheriff of Devon in 1560. He married twice: firstly to Mary Courtenay, daughter of George Courtenay (who predeceased his father Sir William III Courtenay (1477–1535) "The Great"Visitation of Devon, 1895 ed., p. 246. of Powderham), which marriage was childless; secondly he married Jone Paulet, daughter of Sir Hugh Paulet (bef. 1510 – 1573) of Hinton St George, Somerset, Governor of Jersey.
John IV Copleston (1546/9 – 1608)
John IV Copleston (1546/9 – 1608) (second son and heir, by father's second marriage) of Copleston, who married Susan Pollard, a daughter of Lewis II Pollard (d. bef. 1569) of King's Nympton, Recorder of Exeter and Sergeant-at-Law, grandson of Sir Lewis I Pollard (c. 1465 – 1526), Justice of the Common Pleas.Vivian, p. 598, pedigree of Pollard. The couple's monument, erected in 1617 and repaired in 1894, survives in St Mary's Church, Tamerton Foliot,Pevsner, p. 679. inscribed in Latin as follows: Johanni Coplestono Armigero huius manerie domino viro cum generis antiqui tum verae virtutis laude nobilitato: qui postquam aetatis suae annum LIX attigisset Warleiae suaviter in Christo obdormirvit, November 9, 1608. Susanna uxor amantissima quae quinque filios et totidem filias peperit in spe resurrectionis bene merenti pie posuit, September 4, 1617. ("To John Copleston, Esquire, lord of this manor, a man famed as greatly for true virtue as noble descent, who after he had reached his 59th year went to sleep gently in Christ at Warleigh, November 9, 1608. Susanna his most beloved wife who brought forth five sons and as many daughters placed this piously in well deserved hope of resurrection, September 4, 1617.")
Murder of godson As related by Prince, John IV Copleston murdered his godson, possibly an illegitimate son, which "most unfortunate occurrence in this place of Tamerton...in all probability hastened the extinction of the name and family here and at Copleston also". The godson had been sent abroad for his education and when he returned home to England overheard his godfather's private conversation and reported it amongst his circle of friends, which action soon found its way by gossip back to his godfather, whose indignation was "exceedingly enkindled" and who exclaimed: "Must boys observe and discant on the actions of men and of their betters?", and thenceforth resolved and sought all opportunities to be revenged upon him. The two next met at Tamerton Foliot church during the Sunday service, and the youth fled before the end of the service, having noticed his godfather's angry look. Having received a message from his godfather that his anger was over and that he could return to church, the youth appeared at church the next week at the usual time. However Copleston's rage was not over, and although the youth had again fled before the end of the service, Copleston followed him and threw a dagger into his back, which killed him instantly. Copleston fled, and implored all his influential friends at the royal court to procure him a pardon from Queen Elizabeth, which eventually he received, but not without having had to pay a large fine which necessitated the sale of thirteen of his manors in Cornwall. This story is related by Prince, who heard it from a gentleman who was a neighbour of the Coplestons.
Amias Copleston (1581/2 – 1621)